Casing for clinical thermometers.



F. MOINTYRE.

CASING FOR CLINICAL THERMOMETERS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 8, 1911.

Patented Oct. 15, 1912.

14H il I 'III l. al 1 w/TNESSES 2./ MWW ATTORNEYS FRANK IVICINTYRE, OFNEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T0 CHARLES J. TAGLIABUE, 0F BROOKLYN, NEWYORK.

CASING FOR CLINICAL THERMOMETERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 15, 1912.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK MCINTYRE, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of the borough of the Bronx, city, county, and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Casings forClinical Thermometers, of which the, following is a specification.

My invention relates more particularly to devices for returning themercury to the bulb of a clinical thermometer and has for its object toprovide a device of this kind Y which may be easily and quickly operatedto secure the desired results with a minimum of danger' to thethermometer.

In the preferred form of my invention the device is incorporated in andpreferably forms part of the customary casing used for carrying andprotecting a clinical thermometer when not in use.

My invention will be fully described hereinafter and the features ofnovelty will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1is a longitudinal section of a thermometer casing used as a protectingand carrying medium and with 'my improvement applied thereto; Fig. 2 isa similar view showing the thermometer in position to have the mercuryreturned to the bulb; Fig. 3 is an elevation of my particular deviceseparated from the thermometer casing and Fig. 4 is a sectional viewthereof on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

In the specific illustration of my invention shown in the drawings thecasing comprises a tubular member 5, having opposite open ends, one ofwhich is screw-threaded, as indicated at 6 to receive the screwthreadedneck 7 of a cap 8 in which the one end of the thermometer 9 is rigidlysecured. When the screw-threaded elements 6 and 7 are connected togetheras shown in Fig. 1 the thermometer extends axially within the casing,which thus serves as a protecting and carrying medium for saidthermometer when not in use.

In the preferred form of my invention myparticular device extends intothe opposite open end of the tubular member 5, and serves to close thesame so as to form a bottom for said tubular member. The devicecomprises a casing 10, having a frietional engagement with the innersurface of said tubular member 5, and preferably held against movementrelatively to said member 5, by means of roughened portions 11, shownbest in Figs. 2 and 3. The interior end of the casing 10 is preferablyclosed and is provided with an axial opening 12, the purpose of whichwill be more fully described hereinafter. A sleeve 13 projects into theouter open end of the casing 10, so as to be rotatable relativelythereto, an annular flange 14, being provided on said sleeve forengagement with the end of the casing 10.

`This flange 14, in addition to limiting the inward movement of thesleeve 13 relatively to the easing 10, together' with said casing end,also serves as a bearing during any rotative movement of said sleeve.The free end of the sleeve 13, is closed and provided with an angular'slot 15, through' which passes the angular shank of a stem 16 formed atone end with a head 17 arranged to abut against the closed end of thesleeve and having its opposite end passing through and rotatable in theopening 12 of the casing 10. This last named end of said stem afterpassing through the opening 12 is turned over or spread as indicated at18, and with the head 17 serves to prevent separation of the casing andsleeve in an axial direction. Vith this construction the sleeve 13 issecured against rotative movement relatively to said stem, and with saidstem is rotatable relatively to the easing. If desired, a washer 19 totake up wear may be located between the turned over or spread end 14,and the closed end of the casing 10, although this is not absolutelynecessary. The head 17 is provided with a thermometer holding means ofany kind, as for instance an aperture 20, so that with this constructionthe sleeve 13 and stem 1G form what might be termed a thermometercarrying section. A coil spring 21 is located within the casing 10 andsleeve 13, and has its one end 22 secured to said casing and its otherend 23 secured to the sleeve 13.

In operation after the thermometer has been used in the customary mannerand reading has been had, and it is desired to return the mercury to thebulb of the thermometer the said thermometer 9 is first projectedthrough the opening 20 of the head 17, with its axis extending atsubstantially right angles to the axis of the casing. The tubularmember5 is now grasped in one hand, preferably with its axis extending in ahorizontal direction and the thermometer tube depending from the head17, the neck 7 in this position of the parts preventing the thermometerfrom slipping entirely through said opening 20. With the other hand thethermometer is now moved in a circular path to cause the stem 16 and thesleeve 13, or in other words the thermometer carrying section to rotateabout their common axis and relatively to the casing 10, which isrigidly held against rotation in the tubular section 5. This operationwill cause the spring 21 to be torsionally wound or twisted and thuscause it to exert a torsional stress upon the said sleeve 13 and stem16. After a few turns the thermometer tube is released from therestraining influence of the hand of the user, whereupon the spring 21will immediately tend to unwind itself or in other words resume itsnormal condition. This unwinding of the said spring will cause saidsleeve 13 to rapidly rotate about its own axis in a direction oppositeto that in which said sleeve was rotated to wind the spring and willrapidly whirl or swing said thermometer in a reverse circular path. Thecentrifugal force generated during this rapid circular movement of saidthermometer will cause the mercury to iy toward the tube or back tonormal position, the neck 7 serving to prevent the thremometer fromleaving the opening 20 during this operation. If the device is operatedas described it will be found that at the termination of the whirlingmovement just described the thermometer will again depend from the head17, and will thus be prevented from accidentally dropping from theopening 2O after the operation of returning the mercury to the bulb hasbeen completed.

It will thus be seen that I provide a simple and easily operated devicefor returning the mercury to the thermometer bulb, which may be readilyused by inexperienced persons with the rdanger of injury to thethermometer reduced to a minimum, and which may be also used to greatadvantage by persons such as doctors, nurses, etc., who are experiencedin the use of a clinical thermometer.

My improved device is very rapid in action and brings the mercury backto a position to permit of the successive use of the thermometer in avery small period of time, thus making it possible to use thethermometer a great deal oftener in a given space of time than has beenpossible with the old method of shaking back the mercury.

While l have described my improved device as rigidly secured in athermometer casing, the said device may be removably secured therein andremoved each time it is desired to return the mercury to the thermometerbulb. In addition to this, the device instead of being inserted into thetubular member 5, may be inserted into the cap 8 which in this casewould be provided with a recess for removably receiving said device.Furthermore, the said device might be made as a separate article andused as an auxiliary tothe ordinary thermometer case in which instanceitwould look like the illustration shown in Fig. 3. If used in thismanner, the casing l0 would be held in the one hand of the user duringthe winding of the spring and the whirling or swinging of thethermometer.

The spring 21 in addition to its other functions also serves to maintainthe sleeve in position in the casing and the flange 14 in contact withthe end of said casing, both during the operation of the device andwhile the parts are at rest.

Various changes may be made in the specific forms shown and describedwithin the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of myinvention.

I claim:-

1. A device for returning the mercury to the bulb of a thermometer,comprising aV tubular member, a casing extending into the one end ofsaid member, a thermometer carrying section rotatably mounted in saidcasing and having means for removably connecting a thermometertherewith, and means connected with said casing and said thermometercarrying sect-ion respectively for rotating said section relatively tosaid casing.

2. A device for returning the mercury to the bulb of a thermometercomprising a tubular member, a casing extending into the one end of saidmember, a sleeve rotatably mounted on said casing, a stem ri fidlyconnected with said sleeve and provided with means for holding athermometer, said stem being rotatably secured to said casing and meansconnected with said casing and said sleeve for rotating said sleeve andstem relatively to said casing.

3. A .device for returning the mercury to the bulb of a thermometercomprisingl a tubular member, a casing extending into the one end ofsaid member to close the same, a

sleeve and rotatably secured to the casing,

the one end of said stem being provided with In testimony whereof, Ihave hereunto set an aperture for holding a thermometer and my hand inthe presence of two subscribing a spring connected with said casing andsaid Witnesses. Y

sleeve and arranged to be Wound to exert a FRANK MCINTYRE. torsionalstress on said sleeve and said oas- Witnesses:

ing md to rotate said sleeve and stem rela- JOHN A. KEHLENBECK,

tively to the casing When released. M. H. LooKWooD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

